March 29, 2010

Father of Dead Marine Ordered to Pay Lawyer's Fees for "God Hates Fags" Group

Lawyers for the father of a Marine who died in Iraq say a court has
ordered him to pay legal costs for the anti-gay protesters who picketed
his son’s funeral. The protesters are led by Fred Phelps of Westboro
Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. The father, Albert Snyder of York, Pa.,
had won a $5 million verdict against Mr. Phelps, but it was thrown out
on appeal. On Friday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth
Circuit, in Maryland, ordered Mr. Snyder to pay the costs of Mr.
Phelps’s appeal. The United States Supreme Court agreed earlier this
month to consider whether the protesters’ provocative messages, which
include phrases like “Thank God for dead soldiers,” are protected by the
First Amendment.

A fund has been set up to help Snyder pay the court costs. None of the
money will go to attorneys, who are representing him pro bono. To
contribute, go to www.matthewsnyder.org.
Or send a check payable to "Al Snyder Fund" to the following address: